Environmental Art: Using the Landscape as a Medium

Posted on November 10, 2008 by Doug Gunzelmann in Art, Concept+Design

A group of artists have created amazing installments across the Finish countryside incorporating natural vegetation, land features, and natural materials with a touch of human ingenuity. Much of the work asks us to contemplate man’s interaction with the natural world and the resulting impact.

“Hiisi” is a Finnish word, originally meaning a sacred grove. Hiisi was thought of as a temple: people gathered there to celebrate with food and to sacrifice to the forest gods. Hiisi was also a gateway to the past and a connection with the dead. It was an intermediate space between two worlds, and the Tree of Life was often situated in this grove. When Christianity arrived, the secret groves were destroyed and the name hiisi was changed to mean either devil or hell.

The artwork combines elements of nature and traditional Finnish legends creating a question as to how man fits into his environment. “A forest is not only the wilds of nature but also a part of Finnish mythology and identity. However, it also represents modern primary industry.”

Check out the gallery on the next page…

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Art, finland, nature